Mayor Rahm Emanuel wrote an op-ed in all the major Chicago newspapers a few days ago.
Five months ago, I pledged to the residents of Chicago that we would do whatever it takes to rebuild public trust and restore accountability in the police department. My goal is to bring safety to every community though building trust in our police department. That requires creating a new system for police accountability and oversight.
Today I can announce that in the coming weeks, we will have the final details worked out on a comprehensive plan to fundamentally reshape our system of police accountability and it will be introduced at the following meeting of the full City Council on June 22nd. It will be based on the thoughtful suggestions made by my Police Accountability Task Force. It will also be informed by the conversations my administration is having with aldermen, community leaders, the U.S. Department of Justice and experts in the field. We want to make sure the police accountability system is trusted by the members of the Chicago Police Department and the residents of Chicago.
That “pledge” from Rahm was this op-ed that he wrote and put in all the major Chicago newspapers back in December, a little more than a year after Laquan McDonald was murdered by a police officer, in front of other police officers, with video evidence, and clear actions of cover-up on the part of those police officers. It was Rahm’s attempt, after having fired everybody he thought could save him the need to actually deal with a systemic problem he was clearly guilty of continuing, at doing what Rahm Emanuel does best—promoting Rahm Emanuel. Rahm’s new op-ed is another attempt to release some of the pressure being brought onto his shoulders by Black Lives Matter activists. It’s another promise from Emanuel after getting continuously caught lying about events and his knowledge of events, and his lack of justifiable action.
This step, having taken far too long to happen, is still an important step. The deep-seated corruption in Chicago’s law enforcement, from the top to the bottom (and everywhere in between), is the stuff of a Dashiell Hammett story. Here’s Rahm:
Our goal has been to act quickly wherever possible but also to commit to the hard work to ensure all of our reforms will stand the test of time. As this process continues, we will issue quarterly reports so we can all be held accountable.
Act quicker. You’re sinking in your own filth, Mr. Emanuel.